1897] SOME NEW BOOKS 347 



an ample selection from his correspondence arranged in chronological 

 order, with paragraphs welding them into a connected story ; and this 

 is followed by an interesting chapter by Professor Bonney on the 

 general character and value of his scientific work. 



Pengelly's genial personality was so widely known and beloved, 

 not only by men of science but by many devoted to other intellectual 

 pursuits, that his biography will find no lack of enthusiastic readers. 

 The story of his early life as a Cornish sailor ; of his career as 

 a schoolmaster at Torquay ; of his growing fame as a geologist, 

 his discoveries of fossil fish- remains in the Devonian rocks of Corn- 

 wall, and so forth ; of his share in the exploration of Brixham 

 cavern in I8f>8 ; and finally, of his great work in arranging and per- 

 sonally superintending the excavation of Kent's cavern — all this is 

 told in an entertaining manner in his letters. The various little 

 incidents in his career are recalled as we read, and those who knew 

 the man himself will recognise his characteristic traits and modes of 

 expression. We have only one criticism to offer, namely, that far too 

 much of the correspondence is printed. A considerable proportion of 

 it is very trivial and ephemeral, of no interest to anyone except his 

 immediate family, for whose private view alone it was intended. 

 Some other letters, we think, are inserted with rather questionable 

 taste, as, for example, one in reference to a candidate's touting for the 

 fellowship of the Eoyal Society on p. 282. Biographers ought to 

 distinguish between strictly personal matters and those bearing upon 

 the progress of a life's work. The latter alone are worthy of being 

 preserved in a memorial volume. 



Professor Bonney's summary of Pengelly's researches, occupying 

 only thirty pages, is an admirable contribution. It is both concise 

 and clear, and written in a style readily comprehensible to the general 

 reader. The first section deals with the geologist's first serious under- 

 taking, the investigation of the Tertiary deposits of Bovey Tracey ; 

 the next part is concerned with the examination of the caverns, in 

 association with which the name of Pengelly will be longest remem- 

 bered ; and the third or final part includes a number of miscellaneous 

 geological studies of the south-western district of England. We will 

 not attempt to analyse this chapter ; it must be read in its entirety 

 to be appreciated. 



Miss Pengelly's biography appropriately concludes with a list of 

 her father's writings, more than 100 in number, and it is prefaced by 

 a very successful copy of A. S. Cope's portrait of Pengelly, which was 

 painted in 1882. 



The Vertebrate Skeleton 



The Vertebrate Skeleton. By Sidney H. Reynolds, M.A. 8vo, pp. xvi. 559, 

 with 110 illustrations. Cambridge : University Press, 1897. Price, 12s. 6d. 



The latest volume of the Cambridge Natural Science Manuals 

 (Biological Series) is a useful small compendium of osteology by Mr 

 S. H. Reynolds, Lecturer and Demonstrator in Geology and Zoology 

 at University College, Bristol. For the most part the work is a 

 laborious compilation, which sometimes rather detracts from its 

 interest and value ; but the actual descriptions of certain typical 



